For safety or other reasons it is sometime desirable to use a shunt trip to actuate a breaker and stop the flow of electricity. One particular application is that used in a gasoline station environment where one or more distinct separated panels are electrically interconnected. Normally the panel used to control the electrical power to gasoline dispensing pumps is isolated from the other panels used to control electrical power to the other electric elements in the station such as the light plugs, air conditioning, coolers, etc. This isolation is necessary because of the chance of an accident outside the area of the pumps. This isolated panel houses the particular electrical control elements needed to operate the typical electrically operated components found in a gasoline station such as the electrically pump motors used to control the gasoline pump and visually displayed information such as the dispensed amount of gasoline from the station's holding tanks to customers and the price. With such an arrangement, an emergency (E) stop button is usually employed. This E stop button is generally found outside or by an attendant and is used if there is a problem in actuating a shunt trip circuit. This trip circuit has its actuation controlled by a first circuit breaker in the gas panel or there may be a second remote breaker connected such that this second breaker can control the first circuit breaker that feeds the shunt trip. Normally, the E stop button (E-button) and its associated shunt and breaker circuitry has no current flowing through them and are in an inactive state until all of the associated breakers the shunt trip are activated when the E button is depressed to place it in an ON position.
One problem that has occurred with the foregoing type of set up is that sometimes someone, for whatever reason, deactivates the first breaker or a connected second breaker connected to the first breaker. When either of these breakers are deactivated, there is a system failure and the E stop button will not work as intended. Thus, the very purpose of having an E-stop button is defeated. The inability of the E-button to perform as contemplated can result in a very dangerous and life threating situation with the possible loss of considerable property damage as well.
The present invention is directed to a E stop button and its associated shunt trip and breaker that is maintained in a constant live state in a continuous manner as long as electricity is flowing to the controlled electrical components in the panel to insure that when the E-stop button is depressed activated of the shunt and breaker will occur in an actual emergency and not be defeated.